The LA Lakers may be active in the trade market at the deadline and later this summer, as the team is trying to improve in the future and players like Steve Nash, Jeremy Lin or Jordan Hill could be on the move, while Michael Carter-Williams, Goran Dragic and Marc Gasol could be targets and this comes as Kobe Bryant is dealing with a serious injury and could miss time with a torn rotator cuff.
The Lakers come into the week at 12-31 on the season and they will be playing against the Spurs next before a tough matchup with the Rockets. According to ESPN.com, the team will likely have to play those games without Kobe Bryant, as he is dealing with a torn rotator cuff and could miss time with the injury. The report says that Bryant will be undergoing some testing and updates will come out when his status is official. Bryant said the issue was not serious, but with how he has been used this season, Byron Scott could be cautious.
Bryant said that he has played with a torn labrum and that he is not concerned and it came after he scored 14 points while playing in 30 minutes against the Pelicans. Bryant had just missed some time before the Pelicans game and made a comeback in that matchup and now he could be sidelined again. Bryant was injured in the third quarter against the Pelicans and he said it came after he went for a dunk and came down and now Bryant could miss time moving forward.
Bryant is coming back after dealing with serious injuries last season and he is playing at a high level for his age, averaging 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Bryant once again is an All-Star and the status for him in NYC could be in question depending on how serious the injury is. The Lakers come into the game ranked 29th in team defense and they just have 12 wins on the season and that is why many think they will be looking to make trades at the deadline.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Lakers are planning on targeting Goran Dragic, Marc Gasol and Greg Monroe in free agency, while Michael Carter Williams could be a target with the Sixers. The 76ers have reportedly been shopping Williams and the Lakers could step up if they think they can't get Dragic or Rajon Rondo in the future. The team reportedly tried to trade Steve Nash and draft picks to the Celtics for Rondo, but that deal did not go down.
Reports have Gasol as the target that the Lakers want the most, but since the Grizzlies have been so good, it's likely that he remains in Memphis. The same goes for LaMarcus Aldridge, who likely will remain in Portland on a max contract. The Lakers have a ton of money set to come off the payroll coming up and they plan on spending this summer. Dragic is an interesting target, as he has said he will be open to listening to teams in free agency over signing an extension. The Lakers have some moves to make and how hurt Bryant is could dictate how they look at things.
